A MAN who broke a pensioner's back and skull during a horror attack with a POTATO MASHER has today been jailed for life.

Those who choose to commit violent and cowardly acts such as this will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice.

Richard Vickery

Mariusz Dobkowski, 30, attacked Ken Seymour, who was 75 at the time, at his home in Cliftonville, Kent in December 2013.

Mr Seymour, a former Merchant Navy sailor, spent a month in a London hospital after the attack.

Dobkowski fled to Belgium shortly after the attack but was tracked down by officers from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.

The 30-year-old was found guilty of attempted murder at Maidstone Crown Court yesterday and was sentenced today.

Senior investigating officer Inspector Richard Vickery said Mr Seyour was "incredibly fortunate" not to have been killed in the "brutal attack".

He added: "Instead of facing up to the consequences of his actions, Mariusz Dobkowski ran away to Belgium and tried to carry on with his life while his victim lay in a hospital bed recovering from a number of serious injuries.

"However, thanks to the tireless work of officers who were assisted by members of the local and Eastern European communities, Dobkowski was unable to hide for long.

"Let me assure you that those who choose to commit violent and cowardly acts such as this will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice."

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Ken Seymour was 'incredibly fortunate' not to have been killed

The court heard how Mr Seymour - who has no memory of the attack - had been socialising with friends in Margate on the day of the attack, and was waiting to catch a bus home.

CCTV identified a man - later discovered to be Polish-born Dobkowski - engaging with the pensioner at the bus stop and subsequently on the journey back to his home.

They both got off the bus together and headed in the direction of Mr Seymour's home address.

Some hours later, at about 8.45pm, a neighbour heard Mr Seymour shout for help and went to his flat to find him lying on his back and covered in blood.

A table had been overturned and a number of Mr Seymour's possessions were found broken on the living room floor.

At his trial Dobkowski tried to claim the reason for the attack was his victim had made a sexual advances towards him.